Brigada do Mar warns of destruction caused by horseback riding on the dunes of the Alentejo coast
The destruction of dunes caused by horseback riding is one of the new threats that is putting the dune systems of the Alentejo coast at risk.
This practice has increased in recent years and has been recorded with growing concern by the Brigada do Mar during the decontamination operations that the organisation periodically carries out along the more than 60 kilometres of sand between Tróia and Sines.
Despite visible signs of a steady decrease in waste collected in recent years, the Brigada do Mar warns that horseback riding on the dunes and protected vegetation poses a real threat to the natural regeneration of these sensitive areas, compromising the balance of the entire coastal system.
“Greater awareness and responsibility in the use of the coastal strip are essential. When horses roam dune vegetation, they destroy roots and compact the soil, hindering recovery and exacerbating erosion, in addition to posing a threat to bird nesting,” warns Simão Acciaioli, head of the Brigada do Mar.
The organisation emphasises that the dune complex is essential for preserving biodiversity and serves as a natural barrier against marine erosion, protecting beaches and coastal ecosystems. The destruction of this habitat can have irreversible impacts, both on local fauna and flora and on the stability of the coastline itself.
During the most recent decontamination operation, which took place in recent weeks, the Brigada do Mar removed approximately 2,500 kilograms of trash, reaffirming its commitment of over 15 years to the environmental restoration of the São Paulo coastline.
This intervention was supported by the TransforMAR program, created by Lidl Portugal as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. Over the past seven years, the organisation has removed more than 253 tons of plastic and metal waste from the sea and Portuguese beaches. The Brigada do Mar has been a partner of the TransforMAR program since 2020, regularly collaborating on cleanup and environmental awareness initiatives along the coast.
About the Sea Brigade
The Brigada do Mar is an NGO (environmental non-governmental organisation for development) formed by volunteers that has been developing biodiversity protection and environmental intervention activities since 2009, with a special focus on decontamination and cleaning beaches along the Portuguese coastline outside concession areas.
Under the motto “indignation with action,” the association has already cleaned more than 1,700 linear kilometres of coastline, removed more than 1,000 tons of trash, and involved more than 11,000 volunteers in more than 500 days of cleanup and environmental awareness initiatives.
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